Paint brush



May 31, 1960 A. J. FOULKES PAINT BRUSH Filed Nov. 4, 1957 INVENTOR.4/?77/0/1 .1 F001 x055,

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United States Patent PAINT BRUSH Arthur J. Foulkes, 2046 N. 77th Ave.,Elmwood Park, Ill.

Filed Nov. 4, 1957, Ser. No. 694,305

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-246) My invention relates to a new and improved paintbrush and is primarily concerned with a device for holding a paint brushsteady while doing careful, detailed paint jobs such as trim and sashwork. To the experienced painter the delicate hand control required forfine detail work is no obstacle, but today more and more painting isbeing done by unskilled amateur painters and for them the hand controlthat sash and trim work requires is a real problem.

Accordingly a primary object is the provision of an attachment for apaint brush which will permit even the unskilled painter to do a good,neat job on fine, detailed work.

Another object is the provision of a flared steadying guide which isattached to the brush during the entire painting operation to therebyprovide a fulcrum which will permit the bristles of the brush to bemoved in a steady, even path during the painting stroke.

Another object is the provision of a steadying and positioning guidewhich may be attached to the handle of a brush and yet will bepositioned far enough from the bristles so as not to interfere with thepainting operations.

A further object is the provision of a steady rest guide which willpermit insertion of the brush into the paint can without the necessityof changing the position of the guide.

Another object is the provision of a steady rest guide which will permitthe insertion of the paint brush into the can and which will also lockthe brush into position on the can so that the side of the brush will beaway from the side of ,the can and will not become coated with paint.

Yet another object is the provision of a steady rest guide which may beadjusted both longitudinally and radially, but may be securely fastenedso as to provide a high degree of stability and rigidity during use.

Other objects of my invention will become apparent from time to timethroughout the course of the following specification.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my steady rest guide attached to apaint brush as it would be used in painting window sash; and

Figure 2 is a perspective view, partially broken away, showing amodified form of my steady rest attachment with the paint brush held inposition in the paint can.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several views.

Referring now to Figure l, I have illustrated a paint brush with mysteady rest guide attached thereto, the entire assembly being shown asheld in a painters hand in position for painting the sash around awindow. 2 is the handle of the brush, and 3 is the metal strap in whichthe bristles 4 are bound.

My steady rest attachment in its most simple form is indicated generallyat 5, and consists essentially of an elongated body or strip 6 which isflared outwardly in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the wideside of the bristles. With a round brush, the body would better bedescribed as extending outwardly in a radially perpendicular directionfrom the longitudinal axis of the brush, but in any case there-is asubstantial clearance between the body and the brush 7. The end edge 8of the flared end is rounded and may be finished to any desired degreeto present a smooth contour. At 9 I have shown a slot formed in the backend of the strip and an ordinary wood screw 10 may be threaded into thehandle 2 with its head projecting over and engaging the edges of theslot 9. Other fasteners such as a spring clip could be used.

15 indicates generally a pane of glass with which the flared end 7 ofthe steady rest attachment is in contact, and 16, 17 and 18 indicateportions of the sash around the window. 16 may have a surface 20perpendicular to the pane of glass 15 and a surface 21 parallel to theplane of the glass. 17 may have similar surfaces 22 and 23, and thebottom portion 18 of the sash may have a perpendicular bottom surface25.

Referring now to Figure 2, a modified form of my steady rest is shownattached to a paint brush with the entire combination resting in a paintcan. The elongated metal strip 6a has a notch or step formed at 30 witha flat surface 31 which will rest upon the upper rim of a paint can 32.Another surface 33 which may be nearly perpendicular to surface 31completes the step. Surface 31 suspends the brush in the position shown,that is, prevents downward movement. Surface 33 prevents the brush fromfalling to the right as shown in Figure 2 and holds the side of thebristles and the metal strap 3 away from the inside wall of the can.

The use and operation of my device is as follows:

In painting sash or trim the inexperienced painter is often apt to holdthe brush in such a manner that the bristles do not form a straight linealong the junction of the surface he is painting. The amateur may alsovary the position of the bristles during the progress of the stroke sothat a wobbly effect results and jagged splotches of paint appear uponthe surfaces that must remain free of paint. By use of my steady rest,the bristles may be kept accurately in line and the tendency to vary theposition of the bristles during the stroke is nearly entirelyeliminated. For example, in painting the surface 2t which isperpendicular to the pane of glass 15 in Figure 1, it is only necessaryto place the paint brush which is loaded with paint on the sash 21 andtilt the brush until the rounded edge 8 of the steady rest attachmentimpinges upon the glass. The point of contact between the edge 8 and theglass is in effect a pivot point which will prevent movement of thebristles in a direction to the left but which will not hinder thepositioning and movement of the brush upwardly, downwardly, and to theright. The painter need merely find the angle which is the easiest forhim to maintain and then make the strokes keeping a slight pressure onthe handle of the brush so that the edge 8 remains in contact with thepane 15. A few minutes of painting will quickly establish the amount ofpressure that the operator must exercise to maintain contact, and thenhe need only concern himself with making regular vertical strokes sothat the edge of the bristles containing the paint will come exactly tothe junction of the sash 20 and the glass 15. The steady rest will slideeasily along the surface of the glass due to the rounded edge 8, and tomake an upward covering stroke the operator need merely change his handposition and the steady rest will act just as effectively in theopposite direction.

By loosening and tightening the screw 10, it is possible for theoperator to adjust the steady rest both longitudinally and radially withrespect to the handle of the brush. That is, the steady rest may bemoved about the screw to a position which will yield the most effectiveand comfortable angle for manipulating the brush. In painting undersurfaces such as 25, it may be necessary to extend the steady restalmost to its full length so that it may impinge upon the verticalsurface 26, whereas if it is desired to paint surface 22 and the paintermust stand to a position to the left as shown in Figure 1, it may bedesirable to shorten the steady rest to maintain the proper angle oftilt between the handle and the glass.

For painting surfaces that are elevated or remote from the normal rangethat the operator may comfortably reach, it may be necessary to swingthe strip 6 radially downwardly which in effect makes the paint brush asteady extension of the painters arm.

Referring to Figure 2, an appreciable distance is shown between the endof the steady rest and the end of the bristles. This permits the brushto be dipped into the paint far enough to thoroughly load the brush andyet not far enough to immerse the end of the'steady rest.

The strip 6a bent on such a radius that when the locking step 30 isformed in the strip, the metal strap 3 will be maintained an appreciabledistance from the edge of the paint can 32 so that the paint whichadheres to the inside wall of the paint can as the level of the paintdrops, will not come in contact with the strap and eventually find itsWay onto the fingers of the painter. Should any paint splatter onto thestrap 3 there is suflicient clearance between the strip and the strap sothat a wiping cloth may be readily inserted.

It will be understood that various departures may be made from thepreferred embodiments above described without departing from theessential spirit of my invention. For example, I have shown the strip 6as of a uniform width throughout its longitudinal length. It would bepossible for example to curve the edges inwardly near the center of thestrip and thus cut down the Weight correspondingly. I consider itessential however that the steady rest be strong enough to prevent anyspringing action or play between the body of the strip and the axis ofthe paint brush when it is subjected to the normal forces aind pressuresencountered in painting, and for ease in fabrication and purposes ofrigidity I prefer the form shown. The material of the strip is notessential and may be either a strong plastic or metal, the choicedepending upon cost factors.

While the choice of material and the width may be varied withoutdeparting essentially from the spirit of my invention, I consider theprovision of the wide, rounded end as very important for with therelatively large radius as shown, there is no possibility of scratchingthe surface against which it rests, and the angle of the brush may bevaried over a wide radius without producing any binding effect.

It is also important that the flare in the strip be sufficient tomaintain the metal strap 3 of the brush away from the edge of the paintcan when the brush is inserted in the can, whether or not a locking step30 is employed.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a steady rest attachment for apaint brush which is readily adjustable for easy access into hard to getat positions and yet sufliciently rigid to withstand all of the normalstresses exerted by the painters hand. My steady rest may belongitudinally or radially adjusted to permit a wide range of workingangles. The attachment is flared sufiiciently to maintain the bristlesof the brush out of contact with the attachment and it will not hinderthe insertion of the bristles into the paint can. The wide end of mysteady rest provides a high degree of stability and rigidity. It may beeasily fabricated for only a single punching or casting process isrequired and the entire attachment consists of only two parts which maybe fastened to practically any brush on the market today. It may be madeof any suitable material with sufiicient rigidity, and thus will permitthe choice of a material dictated solely by cost factors.

I have shown and 'desc'iibe'd two embodiments of my invention, but itwill be understood that these descriptions are of an illustrative natureonly for I do not Wish to be limited except by the scope of thefollowing appended claims.

I claim:

'1. A steady rest attachment for a paint brush having an elongatedhandle and elongated bristles extending from one end of said handle,said attachment being for the purpose of steadying the brush in use andsuspending it in a paint can out of contact with the can, saidattachment including an elongated body having an upper portion adaptedto lie substantially flush along the handle of the brush, an integralintermediate step, said step having a depth sufiicient to maintain thatportion of the brush above the lower end of the bristles out ofengagement with the inside of the paint can when the step rests on thetop edge of the can, and a lower portion extending downwardly from thestep and terminating in a curvilinearly contoured tip edge, said lowerportion being flared outwardly in a direction perpendicular to the planeof the Wide side of the bristles.

2. In combination, a brush having an elongated handle, elongatedbristles extending from one end of said handle, a positioning andguiding device attached to said handle, said device including anelongated substantially rigid body, one end of the body lying inabutting relationship along the handle of the brush, and the other endextending outwardly from the brush, said outwardly extending portion ofthe elongated body being formed substantially in the shape of acrescent, said other end having a smoothly contoured terminal portionadapted for sliding contact with a surface, a step in the elongated bodyadapted for engagement with the edge of a paint can to thereby suspendthe brush in the can, said step' including an upper wall disposedsubstantially perpendicular to the brush and a lower downwardlyextending wall, said downwardly extending wall terminating in theoutwardly extending portion of the elongated body, said perpendicularwall having a length sufiicient to maintain that portion of the brushabove the lower end of the bristles out of contact with the inside wallof the paint can when the step rests on the top edge of the can, and

means for connecting the positioning and guiding means to the brush.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS832,966 Graf Oct. 9, 1906 1,927,962 Tamplin Sept. 26, 1933 2,242,016McKinney May 13, 1941 2,537,468 Lanius Jan. 9, 1951 2,610,344 GafferSept. 16, 1952 2,730,263 Nielson Jan. 10, 1956 2,807,041 Watro Sept. 24,1957 2,820,237 Maslaney Jan. 21. 1958

